


Bowls of Noodles and Musical Conversation

by gladdecease



Category: Nodame Cantabile (TV)
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 03:37:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gladdecease/pseuds/gladdecease
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After most of the R☆S Orchestra graduates, Sakura finds herself visiting Uraken a lot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bowls of Noodles and Musical Conversation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kumarei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kumarei/gifts).



> Most of what Sakura says about Dragonetti is true - Mine's story about dolls is not, though the rumor exists. The NMF, or Nippon Music Foundation, has one of the largest collections of Stradivarius instruments in the world. I choose to think that Sakura's father may have dealt with them over a violin or two, though whether that's even possible is another thing entirely.

Sakura finds herself visiting Uraken frequently after most of the R☆S Orchestra graduates. It's not all that far from home, and it's near school, and the food is good.

And it's nice to see Mine, too. They see each other at S-orchestra practice, but it's not quite the same as R☆S Orchestra was.

Though his violin improved over their last two years at school, Mine remains otherwise unchanged - he takes all the attention in a room and draws it to himself, through his appearance and voice and attitude. She'd found that a bit overwhelming at first, but now it's just Mine.

"So, so," he says excitedly one day as he serves up a bowl of noodles to one of Uraken's patrons. "Have you heard?"

"About what?" He makes a face, and Sakura can't decide if it means he's shocked she doesn't know what he means or if he's embarrassed that he didn't elaborate.

"About Chiaki, of course! Chiaki and Nodame!" Mine waves his arm around dramatically, nearly knocking over a bowl his father is filling. He smiles indulgently, and Sakura can't help but smile in return.

"Last I heard, Chiaki-senpai had entered a conducting competition in Paris." Sakura leans across the counter. "What's new?"

As Mine talks about Parisian music schools and permanent conductor positions, Sakura wraps her hands around the bowl of noodles she bought an hour ago to have an excuse for sitting here. The noodles have grown cold on top, but the bowl still gives off a warmth she can feel deep in her hands. It relaxes muscles she hadn't realized were stiff, and when she pulls away it's to flex her fingers curiously. Mine notices, and cuts himself off abruptly.

"Have you been practicing too hard, Sakura?" he asks. She'd almost say 'berates', but there's a reassuringly teasing tone in his voice. "Oh, but you've got a solo coming up, huh? I'm not first seat in S-Orchestra, so I don't really pay attention." He pouts, and she lifts a hand to cover her laughter.

"That's a lie! You have to be paying some attention to the pieces you play," she says, still laughing, "or how else will you which note comes next?"

Mine makes another exaggerated motion - a lift of his shoulders to his ears, and a loud sigh as he drops his arms to his sides. It can barely be called a shrug for all the emotion he puts into it. "Saku Saku Sakura," he sighs again, shaking his head. "Surely you know by now that all orchestral pieces work with the same basic chords? If you know the chords, it's simple to know the progression of the song."

This sends Sakura laughing again. "Liar!"

"It's true," he protests. "I swear! So long as I'm not playing a huge role in the piece, I don't even have to think about it."

"Mine-kun, you're full of it," Sakura says, shaking her head and returning to warming her hands with her noodle bowl. When she pulls her hands away, her thumbs are twitching. She pulls her hands into her lap, but the concerned look on Mine's face shows that he caught her.

"Really, Sakura," he says in that low voice that means he's sincere, "are you alright?"

Sakura looks away when he leans close to her. "I'm fine, she says. "I've been practicing my piece -"

"Dragon-something, right?" Mine interrupts, grinning. "Like my name."

"Dragonetti," Sakura corrects.

"The double bassist who put a giant doll in a front row seat and pretended was his wife?"

"That's only a story!"

"But it's a story about him, right?"

Caught, she sighs. "Yes, it's rumored that Dragonetti did that kind of thing. But he was an amazing double bassist and musician! When my father still collected Stradivarius, I got to see the Dragonetti 1706 - the NMF has it in their collection. I don't like the violin as an instrument - no offense -" Mine hums indifferently "- but it was something to see."

"So you really like this guy," Mine concludes.

"Of course! He's one of the earliest well-known double bassists, he knew Beethoven and Haydn - he may have been the one to convince them of the double bass's uses outside the orchestra -"

"- which is why," Mine continues, "you're overworking yourself over this piece. Am I right?" He looks at her slyly.

Sakura blinks. "You're not wrong," she admits. "I want to do his work justice. But it's not just that. There have always been challenges, a small person like me playing a big instrument like that. I can't play some notes as easily as Dragonetti could - his hands were so large, it's rumored he played his notes with five fingers instead of three."

Mine nods. "So he wrote pieces suited to his abilities, which you don't think you can match."

Sakura sighs. "Pretty much."

"That's _stupid_!" Sakura nearly jumps at the volume. As it is, a couple other customers at the counter glance up to see what Mine's talking about. "Sakura, you're a good double bassist. A really good one! You can play this Dragonetti concerto better than anyone else at school, and I know you will."

A warm feeling sinks into Sakura's stomach. It's not unlike how a hot bowl of noodles feels just after she's eaten.

"Ryuutaro!" Mine's father, on the other side of Uraken, looks fairly swarmed with waiting customers. "I need you to fill some orders for me!"

"Just a minute, Pop," he calls back. Mine smiles softly at Sakura, who, confused, smiles back. "Sorry I have to work," he says apologetically. "Come back around sometime soon - I'll tell you more about the note I want to send Chiaki, and you can tell me more about Dragonetti. Okay?" He looks uncertain for a second.

Sakura doesn't understand why he would be. Her answer comes immediately. "Okay!"

His responding smile warms her up as much as his words did before. "Great!"

"_Ryuutaro?_"

Mine winces. "Coming!" He waves goodbye as Sakura gets her things together, and then he's running off to take care of more customers.

As Sakura steps outside, she understands why so many people were coming in. It's pretty cold for this time of year, and on top of that the wind is really strong today. She folds her hands into the pockets of her jacket, and spends the walk home thinking.

Making friends has always been easy for her, but they've never been interested in her music. And people in classes with her didn't want to be her friend. The S-Orchestra and R☆S Orchestra let her have both, until most of the orchestra graduated. The new, younger members don't really get Sakura, or her enthusiasm for the double bass.

A stronger wind blows past her, filtering through her jacket and making her shiver, but Sakura relishes the chill. It contrasts nicely with the warmth she feels at the thought of talking to Mine again.


End file.
